ABSTRACT
Children and adults spend a good deal of time preparing for events in both the
near-and far-term future, yet as a topic of both theory and empirical
investigation psychology has virtually ignored how people understand the future
(Haith, Benson, Roberts and Pennington 1994). Even more surprising is that
while we recognize the importance of future orientation for mature skills, such as
planning and problem-solving (Benson 1997, Benson and Haith 1995, Fraisse
1963, S. Friedman and Scholnick 1997, Haith 1997, Nurmi 1991, Nuttin 1984,
1985, Scholnick and S. Friedman 1993, Zaleski 1994), we know little about the
developmental origins of these future-oriented processes. Future-oriented processes
include planning, goal-orientation, anticipation, expectation, preparation, set
and intention (Haith 1993, Benson 1994) – all important cognitive processes that
contribute to how individuals acquire an understanding of the future. As such, it
is important to know when in development such processes emerge and the means
that guide the developmental course they take through infancy and early
childhood.
